Verna Burrus

It is with profound sadness that we announce that Verna Burrus, 71, had passed on Tuesday, April 25 in Bakersfield. She was born on September 26, 1945, in Alhambra, CA to Robert O. Nugent and Thelma May Nugent and had one younger brother. Steven Nugent.

The family moved to Bakersfield, where she attended and graduated from East High School in 1963. She later attended Federico's Beauty School and became a beautician, a job she loved because she felt she was helping people look their very best and in turn, would help them feel better.

Soon after she married Phillip Trammell, they experienced the loss of their only son, Phillip Trammell, Jr. who died at birth. In 1968, she was remarried to Norman Angelo and had their only girl Kellie Angelo. She later married Walter Jack Burrus in 1971.

Verna remained working in the profession she loved. She also became part owner of Bernard & Sons Meat Co. and soon after learned how to cut meat. Anything that she was interested in and didn't know how to do, she would learn and poured her heart into whatever it was. She became very good at what all things to attempted.

Verna was a very giving & loving person. She never met a stranger. She enjoyed cooking, camping, horseback riding and riding 4-wheelers.

She was a resident of Bakersfield for most of her life. She moved to Winnemucca, NV, where she was a farm wife; growing hay and living a slower paced life with her husband, daughter, and grandchildren. She ran a Gold Crown Hallmark Store in Winnemucca for 3 years and was forced to close because of a family illness. She later moved to Topeka, KS with the love of her life Jerry Harper and they lived there for a year until moving back to Bakersfield in 2010, to be close the family.

Verna loved her family and had a few dear friends that she considered family, Diane Nasalrod, Cherri Martinelli and Shelia Williams.

She is preceded in death by her granddaughter Alexandria Perry, parents Thelma & Robert Nugent; and ex-husband Walter Jack Burrus. Verna is survived by her brother Steve (Jeanie) Nugent; daughter Kellie (Tony) Canales; grandson Memo Varela; niece, nephews and loving companion Jerry Harper.

Viewing will be held on Thursday, May 4th from 5-9 pm at Hillcrest Memorial Park & Mortuary, 9101 Kern Canyon Rd. Followed by services on Friday, May 5 at 2 pm.

He Only Takes the Best

God saw she was getting tired. A cure was not to be.

So he put his arms around her and whispered: "come with me."

With tear filled eyes we watched her suffer and fade away. Although we loved her deeply, we could not make her stay. A golden heart stopped beating, hard-working hands put to rest

God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best.

Amen!

Arrangements under the direction of Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary, Bakersfield, CA.